Carry on Dancing
by Blacknoise
Summary: Chapter 3 is up! *Did you know that Darren Hayes of Savage Garden wrote the song, "Carry on Dancing" as a tribute to the Vampire Lestat? Cool, ne? Now my story title is justified! We now have obvious 3x4, and some building 1+2/2x1
1. Blood of the Brat Prince

Hey, all! It's me! Only a small disclaimer here, I don't own the Gundam boys or their mecha, and The Vampires Lestat, Armand, Louis, Marius, and any others I may mention belong to Anne Rice. Memnoch, too.  
-The Water Warrior  
  
Carry On Dancing  
  
  
The moonlight  
Shines down interstellar beams  
And the groove tonight  
Is something more than you've ever seen  
  
The stars and planets taking shape  
A stolen kiss has come too late  
  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing,   
Carry on, carry on dancing  
  
You're never safe till you see the dawn,  
And if the clock strikes past midnight  
The hope is gone  
To move under…   
  
The moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
  
Move.  
Closer.  
Passion.  
Stronger.  
  
There's a magic only two can tell,   
In the dark night,   
Ultraviolet is a wicked spell  
The stars and planets taking shape,  
a stolen kiss has come too late  
  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
In the moonlight  
Carry on, keep romancing  
Carry on, carry on dancing  
  
Moving on… Moving on all night…  
  
  
Duo Maxwell, whom some called Shinigami, awoke in the middle of the night, gasping and sweating. He had had that same dream many times before. The details were fleeting, slipping from his mind like water slips through the fingers. All the same, he remembered the sensations, the feelings, and Eternity, opening before him like an infinite rose. And Him, And Her. One blond and smirking, the other with hair so dark, Wufei's may as well have been white. But what did this mean? Honestly, the God of Death didn't know. Grumbling to himself, Duo grabbed his sheets and rolled over, eager to return to sleep.  
  
Suddenly, there was a soft noise from the windowsill. Duo spat an oath and leaped out of his bed. Instantly, he grabbed the nearest pistol and cocked it, taking aim at the barely lit window. A shadowy figure was there, crouching in the moonlight. Then it wasn't. Duo's soldier's instincts failed him for the first time ever. He looked around frantically. Where was he?! Somehow, Duo knew that the intruder was male.   
  
Then, a voice, soft and low, whispered into his ear. "Hello, my Duo,"  
  
Duo cried out in surprise, wheeling himself around. A young man in his mid-twenties (it seemed) was staring at him. It wasn't an oppressive gaze, but it unnerved the young pilot nonetheless.   
  
"Moi, je suis Lestat de Lioncourt. Et tu, Dieu de la Mort, tu es la mienne." French?! With his American background, (and none of it from Louisiana) Duo knew nothing of the French Language. Yet he understood the words spoken by this stranger perfectly, almost as if they had been psychically spoken.   
  
I am Lestat de Lioncourt. And you, God of Death, are mine. Duo struggled to get away from the young man who was dressed in velvet so blue, it was very nearly black. Lestat grinned at him impishly, baring white, pointed canine teeth… No, not teeth, fangs. Cursing wildly, Duo stumbled backwards. What in the name of all that was holy…  
  
"Unholy," Lestat corrected him.  
  
"Huh? What the…"  
  
Lestat appeared amused. "It surprises you that I can read your thoughts?" Duo noted in passing that the name Lioncourt fit Lestat perfectly. His perfectly chiseled face (with skin far too pale to be human) was framed by a wealth of blond hair, like spun gold. Something about this man was very alluring, and it began to override Duo's apprehension.   
  
"No," he found himself whispering, "No, it doesn't surprise me at all."  
  
Lestat closed the distance between Duo and himself in half an instant. "Bishounen yo," he whispered sensually. Beautiful boy. In his hard, white fingers, this strange creature lifted Duo's chestnut braid to his face, gently stroking the immaculate tresses. Duo shivered slightly, but found himself quite unable to move. This was, like, totally unreal. The best he could manage was a slight turn of his head and a whimper.  
  
The beautiful blond being gazed longingly at Duo's neck. "Don't tempt me like that. I want it, and you will yield to me." Lestat gasped in wonderment. "Oh, and how you resemble Marius' Amadeo…The hair. That's what it is… and your angelic face!"  
  
Duo shivered again. In an attempt to regain some glimmer of spunk, he muttered, "If anything, I'm an angel of Death!"  
  
"And that's why I want you, Duo Maxwell. Eternal night can be yours, if you feel the need to embrace it."  
  
Feel the need. Sure. Right now, that was all Duo felt. One thing remained, however. He turned around and looked Lestat full in the face. "Can I still fight for peace between the Colonies and Earth?" This had become of the utmost importance to him of late, and he wouldn't just give it up.  
  
"You can have whatever your heart desires, Duo. Forever."  
  
Unbidden, tears stood in the young pilot's eyes. With a life like his, no one had ever offered him anything so enticing. "For real?" he whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Cross my heart," Lestat's ice blue eyes bored into Duo's violet ones. With a slow exhalation of breath, Lestat's mouth closed over Duo's neck. Duo gasped as two tiny pinpricks of pain registered in his senses, followed by a sharp, painful tug on his blood vessels and heart. It came in waves, this pain, ebbing and flowing, pulling and releasing, dragging his lifeblood away… and dragging him along with it. Duo recognized the sensation of blood loss. He'd felt it before… but never like this. His vision swam, and all faded into the incomprehensible.  
  
  
  
  
It seemed like he was floating. Almost as if he weighed nothing at all, Duo rose into the chorus of angels and spirits that welcomed him into the sky. Mom…a translucent figure, just Duo's height, opened her arms to him. … and Solo! The young thief gave his friend a knowing smirk. The spirits of Sister Helen and Father Maxwell waved as well. Duo smiled. He was finally home.  
  
  
  
  
  
A rough jerk brought the young pilot back to reality. There was something buzzing in his senses, something hot, near. So close he smelled it. Blood.  
  
Drink, Duo Maxwell. Join me in eternity.  
  
His eyes opened of their own accord. Lestat's wrist was gashed and bleeding in front of him. The crimson fluid bubbled lazily down the vampire's pale arm. In one motion, far quicker than he'd ever deemed possible, Duo had clamped his mouth over Lestat's wound and was sucking, licking, drinking immortality into himself. It was like a deep animalistic instinct. Drink. Change. Survive. And on a deeper level, this permitted him to be Shinigami forever. He pulled harder on the lifeblood of his creator, silently thanking him.  
  
Thank you…  
  
Thank you…  
  
Blood. Warm, smooth, thick, blood. This was easily the best sensation ever, Duo realized. This thirst, this hunger, this gratification… All of it overwhelming. Lestat's past, present, future… all of it locked into his memory. Magnus, Lestat's vampire creator, Gabrielle, his mother, made into a creature of the night to save her from a deadly disease… Lestat's own fledglings, Louis de Point-du-Lac, and Claudia, the exquisite child vampire, a grown woman trapped in the eternal body of a six-year-old.  
  
Duo heard, sensed, felt all of Lestat's being. In this blood union, he knew all. Akasha, the self-proclaimed Isis, who became the Queen of the Damned. Enkil, her Osiris. Maharet and Mekare, the red haired twins. Marius and Pandora, the Roman vampires… all of their telepathic voices came to him in a rush.   
  
A new one…?  
  
Lestat dares to make another?!  
  
The… God of Death…  
  
  
…Yes, Duo whispered to them. The God of Death is back from Hell! 


	2. Blood of the Devil

Aloha and Konnichiwa, minna-san

Aloha and Konnichiwa, minna-san! The Warrior's back with more crossover action! This time someone else tries to get in on the action! More hijinks with the God of Death, Lestat's latest fledgling! The story gets underway!

Chapter 2: Blood of the Devil 

_Release from life,_

_Embrace the dark,_

_Spread your wings_

_Shudder off what oppresses you,_

_And take flight,_

_Silently, smoothly,_

_And fall from the world,_

_Fall into night_

_ _

_- Mizu No Senshi (The real one) (Me)_

_ _

Memnoch the Devil sat on his basalt throne in the realm of Sheol, known to men as Hell. The shrieks of despair and pain ravaged his ears, and, as usual, brought him no peace. The dark angel concentrated on the Earth, where the humans had accomplished even more. They had even ascended from the Earth to conquer outer space. And yet they still fought. Wars never ceased in that world of turmoil. Now a young Queen strived for peace, and her own brother resisted her, fighting, fighting.

Memnoch's eyebrows shot up suddenly, a vibrant jolt coursing through him. He had not felt that in over two centuries. A new Undead was being born. One of Lestat's! The 'Devil' sharpened his focus on the changing one. That boy was a Gundam Pilot!

Instantly, he ran through his Soul's inventory, searching for one person. Duo Maxwell. The information scared him. This boy, a mere 15, had been through more than ordinary men ever have to. He'd killed, witnessed massacres, and almost everyone close to him was dead. The cheerful dark blue eyes masked a sorrow and a hatred so deep, even those of the Perfect Soldier, Heero Yuy, could not compare. So convinced of his curse, that everyone dear to him eventually died, Duo adopted the moniker, 'God of Death' and began threatening people far and near with death. In doing so, he pushed away those nearest to him, like Heero and Hildie.

The Maxwell boy had a very dark past, and, now that Lestat had interrupted his life line, he had a completely unpredictable future. It was as if the Fates had sliced the last thread of Duo's life away, and tied it onto Lestat's. The boy was beyond mortality now.

He was very nearly a God. With all of the minor vampires cleansed from the earth years ago, the only ones that remained were Lestat, Louis, Maharet, Mekare, Armand, Pandora, David, Marius, and Daniel, not including Armand's (more accurately Marius') two fledglings, the small Indian boy and the blonde piano virtuoso. Duo was being born into a very elite family.

Without any more to think for the moment, the melancholy Devil sat back and watched, sensing a very important shift in Destiny.

***

With a passionate sigh, Duo finally released his hold on Lestat's arm. He staggered across the floor of his room, and collapsed on the bed. Lestat, with an odd expression of tenderness, glided silently over to sit beside the braided pilot. Duo's extraordinary violet eyes were half lidded, and they glittered feverishly. A slight trickle of Lestat's supernatural blood ran down the boy's pale cheek.

"Welcome to the Savage Garden, young one," The blond vampire murmured, watching as the curse of the demon Amel changed Duo forever.

***

In the same safehouse, only a room away from Duo, Heero Yuy tossed violently in his sheets. The slight Japanese boy shuddered, jerking on his mattress. "D…Duo…" he croaked, his face tense and contorted, even in sleep.

***

"Nngh…"

"Gently, Duo"

"Hun…gry"

Lestat smiled. "When weren't you?"

Duo rolled over, his eyes adjusting to their surroundings. He saw a lot of cold stone wall, and candles. He was sprawled on a bed of red silk, and his chestnut braid was coiled behind him. Lestat was standing by the side of the bed, smiling faintly. Duo lifted himself off the bed with astounding ease, and stood to face Lestat. "I'm hungry," he declared, more firmly this time.

Lestat rolled his pale eyes theatrically. "Impetuous one, aren't you?"

"I try," Duo grinned deprecatingly.

"And what is it that you want?" asked Lestat, hints of curiosity leaking into his smooth, slightly French voice.

"A double cheese hamburger," Duo said, positively _leaking_ sarcasm.Then his paling face became intent, and more than a little frightening. "I want blood," he growled.

Lestat laughed. "I love it when you talk like that. Now, my cherub, whom would you like to take? They'll be your first, so choose carefully."

Duo paused to think. Who in all the world did he want to kill? Treize? Zechs? Dorothy? _Relena?_ (A/N: ooohhh… I wish she'd die!!!) Shinigami paused, brooding. His tongue worked over his daggerlike fangs with precision. A victim, he needed a victim. Suddenly, a hollow rushing sound assaulted his powerful ears. He turned around, only to be instantly oppressed by enormous midnight wings. An unreasoning terror seized him as he beheld the obsidian, cloven-hoofed form of…

"S…Satan?!" Duo gasped.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that," Memnoch said almost plaintively.

Lestat, in the meantime, was backing away in mild terror. He seemed to be clutching one hand over one of his eyes. "Wh…what are you doing here?!" he choked. "I told you, I don't want to be your second-in-command!"

Memnoch seemed a bit surprised. "I know that, Lestat," he said, "I'm not here for you. I want to talk with your fledgling, Duo." At this, the Maxwell boy's eyes doubled in size. He was ready for vampirism, but a visit from the King of Hell himself?! An unreasoning fear clutched at him. Surprisingly enough, Memnoch was smiling gently at Duo, probably ignoring the waves of distrust that rolled off the teen.

"Duo, I want you to do something for me." The words came, soft and low, much like the melody of a well-tuned cello.

"… and what would that be?" Duo demanded.

"I want you to take me as your victim."

Had this been any other situation, Duo would definitely have face faulted and fallen over. Instead, though, he kept his composure, though his mind was racing. _Take the blood of the Devil!? What would that do to me? He'll probably kill me if I refuse, though…_ Duo muttered half to himself, stalling for time. "What are you playing at? I don't understand. Why would you want me to bite you?"

"Duo," Memnoch said, using a very business-like tone, "I want this because it is written in the destinies of Man that this must come to pass. Do it, or I'll force you to."

Maxwell shrugged,"Okay. This better not do anything strange to me." Memnoch knelt, smiling faintly. Warily, Duo approached, instinct and hunger slowly dominating his thought. Almost ferally, he curled his lip and bore his pointed teeth. "Victim," he growled.

Duo paused, inches above Memnoch. The Devil's skin was a glossy, reflective black. The God of Death saw himself in that unlikely mirror, and he let out a tiny gasp of wonder. His pallor was unconceivable . His skin was very nearly chalk white, and his eyes seemed to have deepened in intensity. Instead of having eyes of very deep cobalt blue, shot through with violet, his eyes seemed to have reversed, becoming a clear amethyst, flecked with sapphire. His lips, full as always with their provocative little pout, were a slight rose, like the blush in the sky at dawn. Duo's own hair held him entranced for many seconds of eternity. Once, it was one, full chestnut colour. Now, however, it was like tiny threads of many different precious metals, gold, bronze… the infinite variation in the strands captured his eyes and left him staring at Memnoch's neck.

With a slight growl, one that shook the very earth around them, Memnoch barked, "What are you waiting for!?"

Lestat was instantly wary. What was Memnoch playing at, that he was so jumpy? He was usually so demure, urbane… maybe even a bit on the timid side! This was _very _strange. The Brat Prince resolved to pay very careful attention to his would-be employer. 

Duo jumped slightly at the harshness inMemnoch's voice. Instantly complying, he sank his fangs into the fathoms-black neck. At once, the blood of the Devil came into Duo's mouth. The flavour was almost paralyzing. It was thick and robustly sweet. The angelic overtones reminded Duo that Memnoch was never, and never would be human. Oh, God, though, the flavour! The young vampire felt himself crumble and melt more and more with every draught of it. It reeled in his senses like wine. It was the taste of perfection.

Finally, after a seeming eternity, Duo pulled back. Memnoch was smiling at him. "Now you have what it takes. You _must_ do this, for the good of all humanity!" The last sentence came at Duo with urgency.

"Mind telling me what the hell's going on?" demanded Duo, annoyed.

"Even _I_ cannot," said Memnoch. "You must seek the truth yourself." With that, Lucifer returned with a _woosh_ to Hell.

Lestat blinked. He blinked again. "_That_ was more than a little unexpected," he choked. Duo nodded in agreement. 

Realizing something, Duo turned to Lestat. "I've been here for over a day, right?" Lestat made a noise of affirmation. "Then I've got to get back to the safehouse. The others will be looking for me, and they can't find out what happened, or… I don't know!" Duo wheeled around and tore out of Lestat's gothic basement, his polished black shoes clattering up the stone steps.

TBC! R/R Please! I know this isn't as good as the first, but…! Be nice! No flames! Constr.Crit, but no flames!


	3. A Feverish Embrace

Guess what, peeps

Guess what, peeps! I've got MUSES!!!

Rupion: Shut up. I'm busy.

TWW: But you're the 'trailer' for Phoenix Rising!!! 

Rupion: Screw the manga, I'm EATING!

TWW: For a Demon Lord for Carnage, you don't do much off the set.

Rupion: *Pulls out _huge_ broadsword* I. Want. To. Eat. 

TWW: *waves Playboy mags in front of said Demon* 

Rupion: (nose bleeding) … I'll be good! Wai! 

Chichiri: This is stupid, na no da.On with the fic. DAAAAAAA!

TWW: Yes. Let's get going, no da.

*Rupion and the cast of Phoenix Rising belong to me. Patent pending, but they're MINE. Ask me before you use them, or you're DEAD. Chichiri is from Fushigi Yuugi and I assume no ownership rights for him. The Gundam boys belong to many people, but not to me. They're (sniff) not mine. Also, The Vampires and Memnoch belong to Anne Rice, the goddess of literature. Although, I am quite angry with her for taking down her section. IT WAS COOL!!!Grrrr… 

Chapter 3: A Feverish Embrace 

The rain was pelting the ground in a near-torrential downpour. Inside the cozy, ancient safehouse, an aquamarine-eyed Gundam pilot paced anxiously. It wasn't like Duo to disappear without a word. Quatre Raberba Winner toyed nervously with the hem of his Armani vest. He glanced over at Heero. The sour, blue-eyed Japanese boy was sitting in an enormous burgundy velvet chair, hunched over his laptop. Quatre, the empathetic little Arab, frowned. Heero had been there for the better part of two days, only moving at all to go to the bathroom. Once finished, he'd return to the near catatonic state in front of his small computer, the only things budging being his fingertips. They flew along the keyboard an imperceptible speeds. He hadn't eaten anything at all.

Needless to say, the tiny blond was worried. First, Duo had disappeared, and now Heero was killing himself doing Allah-knew-what. He'd have come apart had it not been for the constant, steady presence of Trowa. The boy with the world famous hair leaned against the wall nearest to Quatre, comfort livening the normally agate-hard green eyes. That was the only glimmer of emotion that showed through the teen's mask-like face, but for pilot 04, it was more than enough.

Suddenly, with a resounding crash, the main door to their hideout burst open. All around him, Quatre heard the sound of three different guns being cocked. Heero, Trowa, and Wufei had their pistols lined up with the head of the dripping silhouette. A familiar voice made the pilots relax.

"Oi, guys, put the guns down! It's me, Duo!" shouted the intruder. There was an audible sigh of relief as Duo sloshed into the safehouse. 04 observed as Heero glanced up from his laptop. The Wing Zero pilot slammed the notebook computer shut, irate. He glared at Duo furiously, the slightest hint of a growl in his throat. Duo, unflappable as ever, returned the favor angrily. With one quick, efficient motion (and a contemptuous snort), Heero turned over and promptly fell asleep on the couch.

Curiously, Duo went over to the fallen laptop and turned it back on. Fingers flying across the keyboard nearly as quickly as Heero's, he called up the most recent files that Heero had been working with. They were surveillance camera shots. Duo quickly recognized the places that they were from. Clubs. Bars. Video game and comic book stores. All places Duo would go if he weren't on a mission or at school.

So. Mr. Yuy was actually trying to find Duo.

Quatre looked at Duo again, wonder flooding his china-doll face. "Duo… your hands! They're so pale! Are you alright? Oh, I hope you didn't get sick… what possessed you to run away?! And to come back in the middle of a st…oh…"

Trowa made the little pilot stop in his verbal tracks by clearing his throat loudly. The grim, silent Nanashi cast a meaningful glance upstairs to the room he shared with Quatre. He looked at Quatre pointedly, and cleared his throat again.

Quatre wrung his hands for a moment, torn between his raging adolescent hormones and the desire to know what ailed his friend. Trowa winked at Quatre. Slowly. Duo watched the exchange, perplexed. Trowa smiled seductively. Duo blinked.

With a visible twitch, Quatre made up his mind. "Oh, Duo, I'm sorry! I forgot… I have…uh…money to count!!! Yeah… that's it… I'll catch you in an hour or two!"

"…Make that _three_," interjected Trowa.

Duo chuckled, amused. "Have fun with all that… money counting, you two!"

Quatre flashed him a grateful grin, and hurried off with his koi.

_Well, that was _very_ close. Maybe I should stay away from the guys. If I get too close, they'll suspect something, I'm sure of it._ Duo rationalized. 

"…Maxwell." Duo had thought too soon.

"…Wufei."

"Where have _you_ been? It's not like you to keep out of our collective hair for so long. Maxwell, something's wrong. Spill." Curse the Solitary Dragon and his perceptiveness!

"Nothing's wrong." Duo said shortly. Then he realized his mistake. He was being curt! Duo Maxwell was never curt!

"Nothing?" Wufei arched an eyebrow in that infuriatingly superior way of his.

It was time for Duo to act. Bigtime. "Well, Wu-man, since you want to know the WHOLE story, I left, yes, at 1 a.m., to get a burger. I finally find this joint, and this big, filthy guy takes my order. And all I want is a burger. It takes him, like, an hour to make me that one lousy burger, and it sucks, 'cause I'm the only one there, you know? So then I get it, _finally_, and I eat it. It tastes like crap, but I eat it 'cause I'm famished. For the next three hours or so, I'm retching in the gutter, the food was that bad. So, after I'm done horking my liver, I see this _really_ pretty chick. I mean HOT!! So, natch, we had to get to know each other better. Turns out, she accepted my money after all! So we get to her place, and then…"

"-Okay, Maxwell. I get your point." Wufei growled. He turned and stalked away, cursing under his breath.

"Score one for the Vampire Duo!" The braided creature of the night gloated softly.

Duo started to walk upstairs. As he did, he decided to look around. The Gundam boys had only gotten to the safehouse the night of Lestat's visit, so he hadn't had the chance to see what the place really looked like. The building was nice, luxurious even. It was built in the old style. Very Bram Stoker-ish, Duo noted. There was a lot of hardwood flooring on the first level, and the second floor was basically all carpet. Listening with his heightened senses, Duo carefully pinpointed each of his comrades. Wufei was in the kitchen, grumbling to himself as he raided the (actually stocked!) fridge. Thanks to some ostentatious squeaking of bedsprings, Duo could tell exactly what Trowa and Quatre were up to. He didn't dwell on it. Finally, the softest breathing came to his ears, gentle like a that of a sleeping child. It was Heero. He was actually asleep. So Duo was alone in the lamp lit upper hallway.

He made his way slowly to the balcony door at the end of the shadowy corridor.Grasping the gilded handle in his ivory hand, he turned it ever-so-slowly in the hopes that no one would hear him. He needn't have worried. 02 then slipped out into the receding storm.

The rain battered wanly at the dark, moonlit stones that paved the balcony. Unhurriedly, Duo stepped further out, reveling in the fresh scent and the damp breeze. He looked out at the moon calmly. _Shinigami's paradise,_ he thought to himself.

"You like the night, don't you, Duo?"

Duo didn't flinch. He knew who was talking. "You like stalking your fledglings, don't you, Lestat?"

Lestat made a face. "Good to see you, too!" he snorted.

"You sound like me," Duo joked. 

"Oh? In what way?" Lestat wanted to know.

"The way you follow people around, trying to get attention."

"Itai!" Lestat cried, in a cheesy francophone attempt to sound Japanese. He laughed.

"So… what do you want? I only left your place, like, three hours ago, Lestat."

Lestat locked his arctic blue eyes onto Duo's pools of amethyst. "What exactly were you planning to do then the sun rises?" the Brat Prince asked pointedly.

Duo faltered. "Uh…"

"…You're new," Lestat continued, "You'll burn faster than a dry leaf in a bonfire."

"So what're we going to do about that?" Duo asked, actually worried for once.

"We're going to move you to the basement." Lestat said. "It's far too risky for you to leave the safehouse for any major duration of time anymore. Your comrades are on the alert."

"It's alright… as long as the mission isn't tomorrow."

Lestat nodded. "Yes, I sometimes forget that you children are out changing the world. Nevertheless, DON'T go into the sun. You _will_ be destroyed."

"Alright," Duo murmured. He'd read about the effects of the sun on the undead. Not pleasant at all. He was enjoying his Unlife, so he wasn't about to step straight into death yet.

Lestat gestured towards the glass doors that led back into the house. "In the basement, I've left something for you to stay in. You'll find it in a hidden room beneath the stairs. Until then, enjoy the night." With that, Lestat vanished. Or, at least seemed to. He was probably moving too fast for Duo to track. The younger vampire shrugged and returned inside. 

Returning the way he came, Duo headed back down the stairs. He checked right, he saw that Heero was still asleep, but stirring slightly. It was nearly two in the morning. He turned to his right and back into the living room. Instantly, he felt the cold, Prussian blue eyes lock onto him. "Don't sleep much, do we, Heero?" Duo murmured almost mockingly.

"Hnnnnnnn…" came the irritated (and sleepy) reply.

"What?!" Duo shot back, instantly on the defensive.

"Where the Hell were you?" Heero mumbled coldly.

"Out." 

"Not good enough." Heero's glare darkened. "Did you endanger the mission, Duo?"

"No." Duo was being abrupt deliberately now. He'd play Heero's 'I wanna be the stoic jackass' game, if that was what he wanted.

"Hn." A grunt. 

Duo looked down at Heero,taking in the fifteen-year-old's thin, muscular frame, painfully aware of his strong pulse and heartbeat. Duo licked his lips unconsciously. He wasn't thirsty yet, but the dull roar of Heero's blood was enough to make him rethink his position. The life that throbbed under his smooth, tan skin was too tantalizing, maybe if he tasted just a little… Heero's voice jerked him back to reality. "What do you think you're doing?"

Duo blinked. "Uh…" He was bent very near to Heero, their faces almost touching. _Shit!_ Duo cursed inwardly. What if Heero saw his fangs?! He quickly withdrew. In an attempt to shrug the encounter off, Duo sprang to his feet. "Hey, Hee-kun… want something from the kitchen?"

Heero paused, as if ready to brush Duo off rudely, but then seemed to think better of it, as he said, "Just coffee."

Duo nodded. "Fine," and drifted down the hall. Wufei was gone by now, so he was alone. He set the coffee on to brew. His thoughts inevitably returned to Heero. The handsome, slightly obnoxious pilot had had him intrigued since they had first met. (Duo had shot him in the arm!). Heero's vitality, self effacing bravery, and all-around bullheadedness were things he admired. What could Duo say for himself? "I may run, and I may hide, but I'll never tell a lie," !?! How corny. Even as a Gundam pilot, Duo wasn't the 'hero' like Heero. (A/N: O.o;;). Duo jumped slightly as the percolator announced the completion of its task with a satisfied _click_. Duo reached towards the cupboard, but stopped when he saw a clean mug in the drying rack that sat in the sink. Lazy as he was,he didn't want to bother getting a mug down from the cupboard if he didn't have to. 

He hissed suddenly. His arm had caught on one of Wufei's ginsu knives, also drying in the rack. His senses rang with the rapid coursing of blood down his arm. A minute trickle of the stuff landed in the middle of Heero's mug. Just as quickly as the injury had appeared, it vanished, healed by Duo's vampire blood.

A strange compulsion arose in the heart of the teenage vampire. Summoning his mental powers, he thought to the tiny pool of blood. _Coffee. You taste like coffee._ Duo, though seriously doubting himself, proceeded to pour the hot, bitter brown liquid over his blood. Back to Heero he went. 

"Here's the Joe, Hee-man!" he chattered.

Heero accepted the beverage with a slight inclination of his head in thanks. Duo watched, just a bit anxiously, as Heero downed the coffee in five efficient gulps. With a slightly less nasty growl, Heero curled back into a little ball and began to drift off. His eyes locked with Duo's for an instant, and he fixed 02 with an unreadable expression. Finally his lids drooped shut, and he slept again.

The dawn wasn't far away. Duo knew this. Yet he stood there for nearly an hour, looking at Heero, the way his chocolate hair framed his smooth, sleep softened face. The way he looked at peace, during the only time he had any respite from his work as the Perfect Soldier.

_Beautiful._ That was truth, in and of itself. Heero was beautiful. Again, it was all Duo could do to stifle the bloodlust that was instantly awakened in him. Heero lay before him, spent, pooled in the chair that was far too large for him. And he slept. Like a baby. Like an angel. An angel that needed a demon's love.

Duo spun around, just in time to see the clouds blush with the upcoming dawn. It was time to go. With a regretful sigh, he turned and glided towards the basement. Behind the basement stairs, he found a trapdoor. With one pale hand, he lifted the dusty wooden planks. Below him, nearly six feet below, there rested a sleek, black coffin. "Lestat knows me all too well," he murmured ruefully. With infinite grace, Duo hopped down from the basement floor and into the earthen hole. He easily undid the clasps that fixed the coffin lid to the polished black wood. the casket, he noticed with pleasure, was lined withsilken black and red cushions, well stuffed and cozy. With a pleased little noise, the vampire God of Death relaxed, gently easing the coffin lid back into place and succumbing to the sweet darkness that called to him.

***

The sun's rays gently warmed the sleeping boy's face, causing him to shift groggily in his sleep. "Duo?" he whispered. His azure eyes opened slightly again, looking around the room. It was his imagination. Duo wasn't there. Heero's babyish mouthreassumed its downward turn and his eyebrows reknitted. Hoisting himself out of the chair he slept in, the Perfect Soldier stalked into the kitchen to find some food. He ran a hand through his tousled hair. Why couldn't he get that braided idiot out of his head?

***

Night had returned. Autumn requested the presence of darkness more often than her sister, summer. A chill breeze rustled the gold and red leaves, and the scent of woodsmoke was in the air. With a sigh, one braided vampire arose. _It's amazing, really. They didn't find me all day?_ Duo wondered to himself. That _was_ unlikely for four of the best trained pilots, spies, and assassins in the universe. Ah, well better luck for him.

He stealthily made his way up the basement stairs and back into the lives of his comrades.

"Duo!"

"Maxwell."

"Hn."

"…"

Quatre, Wufei, Heero, and Trowa all gave him their respective greetings. Duo looked each of them in the eye, and yelled out, "HI!" at the top of his lungs. 

"……………" this time, it was collective.

Quatre was the first to speak. "Duo! Where have you been?! I was so worried! After what you put us through last night, you go and sneak off again!?" The blond put his hands on his hips. "What do you have to say for yourself?!" 

"…Indeed, Maxwell. I'm sure we'd all love to hear where you were," Trust Wufei to add to Duo's problem.

Heero glared at him, though his eyes betrayed something else.

Trowa tried valiantly not to look too bored.

Duo shrugged. "I was out on the town again," 'Never tell a lie,'. Whatever. 

Wufei snapped. "What?! Have you no honor? How dare you take this mission so flippantly?"

Duo whirled on him, suddenly angry. "I am not taking this flippantly, you ignorant bastard. I just think I'm entitled to having a little fun before I put my ass on the line. The mission's two days away. Let me have a life, for the love of God."

"I-Injustice! How dare you take that tone with me, Maxwell?!"

"Bite me." (insert irony here)

Wufei spun around and left in a huff.

"Soo…," Duo said casually, "I thought of going clubbing tonight. Quat, Trowa, you guys in?" Trowa smoothly declined with a shake of his head. He pointed to Quatre's bottom, then gave Duo a direct look. "_Again_?!" Duo whined. Trowa nodded, pleased with himself."How 'bout you, Heero?" Duo looked winsomely over to his sometime partner.

Heero shrugged. "nnn Hn." (A/N: for those of us not very well versed in Heero-ese, this means, 'I don't seem to have anything else of importance to do tonight. I may as well, although I'm not sure why I'm agreeing to this. This is sheer idiocy.')

Duo brightened. "Kick ass! Go get ready, my man! Your mission is to have fun!"

Heero sighed resignedly. "Nimmu: Ryoukai." 

Twenty minutes later, they were ready to go. Heero had abandoned his spandex for a set of black jeans that were actually somewhat loose. (!) He had a white tank top on, and a black trench coat that ended at his knees. Duo was a god in black. He wore a sheer, meshy black t-shirt, loose black slacks, and a trench coat like Heero's, except his had tiny silver skulls on each button. 

Duo eyed 01 appreciatively. "Ne, Heero, you actually know how to dress sometimes!"

"Hn." Heero smirked slightly. "Let's go."

The two pilots headed out into the crisp night air. Quatre's silver Jaguar sat in the driveway, glinting enticingly. Heero glanced at Duo, poorly masked mirth in his Prussian eyes. He reached into his pocket andpresented Duo with the keys.

Duo laughed. "Do you think he'll miss it?"

Heero glanced up at a darkened, half open window on the second floor of the safehouse. Quatre's sultry giggle was heard above the creaking of the bedframe. "Don't think so," Heero chuckled. "Not for a while, at least."

Duo's grin bordered on wolfish. At the last minute, he reminded himself not to let his fangs be seen. He snatched the keys from Heero's hand and jammed them into the ignition. Heero settled in beside him, and they were off.

Soon thereafter they arrived at Duo's club, aptly named Ultraviolet. The ground throbbed with music, even outside. The large bouncer that guarded the door looked down at the young boys. "ID," he barked.

Heero fixed him with the world's strongest Deathglare. Duo looked the man in the eyes, using his powers to hypnotically suggest things to the man. "We're 21," he said.

The bouncer, eyes glazed, unclicked the velvet rope and let them in. Duo flashed Heero a cocky little smile, which 01 returned, to a lesser degree. 

As they entered the club, they were assaulted with about a thousand sights and scents. Booze, cigarettes, weed, sex… Heero turned around and looked at Duo. Duo shrugged and pressed into the throbbing, seething mass of humanity. Almost timidly, Wing Zero's pilot followed. His eyes briefly lingered on a pair of girls that seemed _very_ interested with each other. _Dorothy!? Relena?! _He shuddered and increased his pace in an effort to catch up to Duo.

Suddenly, the lights went dim, and a very familiar song began. (A/N: try and guess, kiddies!) The chorus of string instruments rose in a wistful, dark sound. The music had a vaguely Latin feel to it, ignoring the fact that the singers were Australian. Duo grabbed Heero by the wrists and brought him to the center of the throng. Then the chestnut haired vampire began to dance. One lingering look from the amethystine eyes brought Heero into the dance as well. The two spun and gyrated with the beat, clearly the best dancers on the floor.

_The moonlight_

_Shines down interstellar beams_

_And the groove tonight_

_Is something more than you've ever seen_

Duo glanced sharply at his companion. Heero's face was ashen, and his eyes were half vacant, locked on Duo. He moved almost like a puppet, but he was edging ever closer to 02, tiny beads of sweat on his face.

_ _

_The stars and planets taking shape_

_A stolen kiss has come too late_

Duo brought Heero to him suddenly. It must have been the blood that Heero had unwittingly consumed. This physical closeness was bringing out the bewitching effects. But... maybe Duo had wanted this? Maybe he truly wanted spiritual possession over the Perfect Soldier…

__

_In the moonlight_

_Carry on, keep romancing_

_Carry on, carry on dancing_

_In the moonlight_

_Carry on, keep romancing, _

_Carry on, carry on dancing_

Heero was inches away from Duo's white face. They danced together as one, both with amazing grace and agility.

_ _

_You're never safe till you see the dawn,_

_And if the clock strikes past midnight_

_The hope is gone_

_To move under… _

And it was true. Night was home. Perhaps to be shared with Heero?

_The moonlight_

_Carry on, keep romancing_

_Carry on, carry on dancing_

_In the moonlight_

_Carry on, keep romancing_

_Carry on, carry on dancing_

Now was the time for decisions. Heero moved ever closer, a bemused look on his face. And, even without his mind's consent, his body chose to show that it was aroused. Duo was a bit surprised at that, but he was fighting his own screaming thirst. He _had_ to feed! He was still a fledgling…

_Move._

They did.

_Closer._

Was it possible?

_Passion._

Oh, yes.

_Stronger._

He wanted it so much it hurt. Together, hips barely apart, arms wrapped round each other, they danced. and as the chorus leapt back into their ears joyously, Duo sunk his fangs into Heero's soft neck, enveloping the other pilot in a violent embrace. _Join me, _he whispered telepathically. Heero gave a low, keening moan, and slumped onto his partner, as Duo fed hungrily.

_Moving on…_

_Moving on all night…_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC!!

Trust me! 

TWW: Ok. I know that was long and bad.

Rupion: Damn straight! Wait. Aren't they gay?

Mercanti(also mine, pat. pend.): So am I!

Chichiri: Jesus Christ, no da!

R/R!!!!! No flames! I was really disappointed with the lack of reviews last time! More! NOW!!!! (I worked hard on this… ;_;)


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